May 26, 2022
Ça va trop loin, or not far enough? Quebec passes controversial new law to ‘promote and enhance’ French
The tug-of-war over Bill 96, which was approved Tuesday, pitted the majority government and politicians who declared the French language’s viability was at stake against advocates who warned the law could weaken civil liberties in Canada’s second most populous province.
“Bill 96 will make it virtually impossible for someone to receive quality health and social services in English,” Marlene Jennings, president of the Quebec Community Groups Network, an advocacy organization for English speakers in the province, told POLITICO ahead of the vote. “It’s going to have a negative drag across the board.”